Improvement in folding flower-stands



S. R. PAY.

FOLDING FLOWER-STAND.

No. 189,571, Patented Apri117, 1877.

": ms. Pml-ITHOGRAPNER. WASHINGTON. D 64 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

STEPHEN R. PAY, OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

IMBROVEMENT IN FOLDING FLOWER-STANDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 189,571, dated April 17, 1877 application filed March 3, 1877.

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN R. PAY, of the city of Peoria, in the county of Peoria, in the State of Illinois, have invented a Folding Flower-Stand and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which like letters of reference refer to like parts, and in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation, with the end parapets q of the shelves removed, to show the hinges, &c.; Fig. 2, rear view of half the stand Fig. 3, superficial view of the stand; Fig. 4, front elevation of shelf, with part of support m removed, to show the shelf and hinges Fig. 5, a side view of the stand folded up flat.

The object of this invention is to provide a stand for flower-pots, &c., which is capable of being folded together without disruption or taking apart, so as to be placed away when the season is over, and occupy but little room, and in a form rendering it less liable to fracture.

It consists of cross or inclined legs, having attached pivoted arms or brackets, said legs being pivoted to the shelf-support and to the rear legs. The rear ends of the pivoted arms or brackets slide in a slot or slots in the lower part of the rear legs, and thus, projecting to the front of the stand, they jointly support the shelves there. The rear ends of said brackets may be united by means of a rod, which may slide in said slot. The shelves are hinged, one behind and above its neighbor, successively and toward the rear of the stand, to the sloping shelf frame or support already mentioned, in such a manner that each shelf can be laid down flat when not in use. The front edge of each shelf, for this purpose, is supported by a vertical board or legs, hinged or otherwise attached to said front edge of the respective shelves.

The following is a description of one of the forms in which I construct my stand A A represent two upright or inclined legs at the rear side of the stand, united by a horizontal crossbrace, 12, below, and each hinged at its top to the cross-piece d, which unites the front legs (3 O, at the tops of the latter. The legs A A are each provided with a guide-loop, a, for the admission of the cross-rod f of the brackets B B. The latter consist of two arms, B B, one on. either side of the stand in front of the corresponding legs A A, each being pivoted at S to one of the front inclined legs 0 (3, near the middle. The forward or upper ends of said brackets B B are connected by means or the horizontal bar 9, to which the shelf-frame D is attached, by means of a staple or eye, k, and hook '21. O O are the front legs, parallel with each other on either side of the stand, and united together by a cross-bar, 6, below, and above, at their tops, by a similar brace, d. Near to the latter brace, or in a line with it, said legs 0 O are pivoted to either bar D D of the pot-shelf, one leg 0 on either side of the latter. The shelf-support D D is composed of two parallel side pieces, D D, which slope forward from their respective pivots on the upper ends of the legs 0 O, and are united at their front ends by a cross-bar, h, having a hook, oi, for attachment to a staple, k, of the cross-bar g of the brackets B B. The bar it is repeated at intervals up the incline of the frame D D, and to these (it) the respective shelves E E are hinged at 0. Each shelf is supported by a swinging leg or board, m, (which may be made ornamental,) hinged to each shelf by an eye and staple or hinge, n, so as to hang vertically and rest upon the pieces or shelf-frame D D, or its boards h, to hold each shelf in a horizontal position.

The shelves may be made without hinges; but I hinge them in order to facilitate the stowage of the stand, and to contract it into the most compact form.

The operation of this invention is as follows: The legs A 0, being pivoted together above, and, also,near the same point (being also) pivoted to the shelf-frame D D at t, and the brackets B B being pivoted to the legs 0 G, permits the whole to be folded flat, as seen in Fig. 5. So, also, the hinging of the shelves E to the shelf-frame still further facilitates the contraction of the stand into the smallest compass. The legs may be removed, if desired, and cords attached to either corner of the shelfframe for suspension, and to obviate the room occupied by said legs.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination of the brackets B B,

connected by cross-bar g, pivoted at 8, or centered on the middle part of legs 0, each in combination with the respective rear legs A, said brackets B so combined with said legs A by means of slots a and the cross-rod f or detent, and said legs A hinged or pivoted to said legs 0 or their cross-piece d, at their upper extremities, to sustain the flower'shelf supports D D, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination, in a flower-stand, of the folding shelf-frame D D, the legs A A, pivoted to the legs 0 0 near the pivot which 

